A modern classic, this clearly written, incisive textbook provides a comprehensive, detailed survey of the functions of mathematical physics, a field of study straddling the somewhat artificial boundary between pure and applied mathematics.In the 18th and 19th centuries, the theorists who devoted themselves to this field — pioneers such as Gauss, Euler, Fourier, Legendre, and Bessel — were searching for mathematical solutions to physical problems. Today, although most of the...
An exposition of an alternative rendering of the theory of relativity, this volume is the work of the distinguished English mathematician and philosopher, Alfred North Whitehead. Suitable for upper-level undergraduates and graduate students, its three-part treatment begins with an overview of general principles that may be described as mainly philosophical in character. Part II is devoted to physical applications and chiefly concerns the particular results deducible from the formulas assumed for...
In addition to being among the twentieth century’s major scientific figures, Sir James Jeans (1877–1946) was also one of the greatest modern science expositors. His classic introduction to mechanics endures as a clear and concise presentation of first principles.Although brief, it encompasses a remarkably wide selection of topics. Its subjects include rest and motion, force and the laws of motion, forces acting on a single particle, statics of systems of particles, statics of...
Since Lagrange laid the foundation of analytical dynamics some two centuries ago, the discipline has continued to evolve and develop, embracing the theories of Hamilton and Jacobi, Einstein's relativity theory and advanced theories of classical mechanics.This text proposes to give graduate students in science and engineering a strong background in the more abstract and intellectually satisfying areas of dynamical theory. It is assumed that students are familiar with the principles of...
